County will not host annual fireworks

February 8, 2013

MARTINSBURG - In a special meeting Thursday, board members for the Martinsburg-Berkeley County Parks and Recreation decided to uphold their decision to no longer be involved in the annual Fourth of July fireworks display.

In December, board members sent a letter to the Martinsburg City Council, stating their intent to not host the July Fourth festivities or fireworks at War Memorial Park. In the beginning of February, city council members asked the Parks and Recreation board to reconsider hosting the event for one more year, 2013.

"We just believe it will be chaos if we try to put it on ourselves for 2013. What would most likely happen if (Parks and Recreation) decides to still want to wash their hands of it, is we probably won't have any fireworks," Barker said, trying to persuade the board members.

Baker expressed that time was the biggest factor for the city council's request of Parks and Recreation, feeling that the city would not be able to make all of the necessary arrangements before the event.

However, Steve Catlett, executive director for Parks and Recreation, said that he has received confirmation that the volunteers who put on the show and provide the space to launch the fireworks are willing to lend their services again.

Catlett has also confirmed that the vendor who provides the fireworks can still provide the same show at the same price as 2012. Although the board decided to not administer the fireworks show, Catlett said that he would be willing to show someone from the city through the process step-by-step.

The primary reason the Parks and Recreation board members chose to not become involved in this year's fireworks display is because of liability concerns. When applying to the state for a permit to host the show, Catlett, along with the Berkeley County sheriff and the Hedgesville fire chief, would sign the application, making the organization liable for any injuries and for the fireworks shells.

"It's going to be a city event (in 2014), so the city should have somebody sign off on it. The city needs to take over," said Jim Welker, Parks and Recreation board member.

Since a city official would still have to sign the application for a fireworks show next year, regardless if a company were hired or if the show were shot locally, board members agreed that Parks and Recreation should not be responsible for the show.

Although the city has financed the fireworks shows for several years and has allocated $10,000 for this year's show, Baker said that the show is an event enjoyed by the county and hopes to financially incorporate county government next year.

"I think it's a county fireworks show, and that is something that we as a council have been talking about. Once we fully take it over and hire a company, we're probably going to approach the (Berkeley) County Council in splitting that (cost) or finding a corporate sponsor," Baker said.